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The Accessible Conspectus
For centuries, Abu Shuja al-Asfahani's legal primer Matn al-Ghayat wa-l-Taqrib (The Ultimate Conspectus) has been a standard text for introducing students of the Shafii school of Islamic law to the full range of basic legal issues. Students will often start their studies by reading it from a basic commentary with their instructor. Many students will read it again from more advanced commentaries as they progress in their mastery of the subject. This volume presents an amiable commentary that makes Abu Shuja's primer accessible to new students. It uses contemporary language and examples to help readers build a sound foundation in Islamic law. The Accessible Conspectus is a perfect companion to The Ultimate Conspectus.
318 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2016
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About the author
Musa Furber
24 books82 followersMusa Furber is qualified to issue Islamic legal edicts (fatwas). He received his license to deliver edicts from senior scholars at the Egyptian House of Edicts (Dār al-Iftā’ al-Miṣriyya). He studied traditional Islamic disciplines for over 15 years with numerous scholars in Damascus, Cairo, and elsewhere. He also holds a BA in Applied Linguistics from Portland State University, and an MPA from Dubai School of Government. He is currently a research fellow at the Tabah Foundation in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 1, 2025
A great resource in English for the students in the Shafi'i madhhab. I studied the original text 22 years ago in the Eastern Province of KSA including with teachers who knew Shaikh Musa, so it was nice to revisit the text and read Shaikh Musa's commentary upon it. I tried translating parts of it long ago but never finished doing so or reaching anything near the rarified levels of scholarship of our beautiful brother Musa.
I did try my hand at translating parts of the poem Az-Zubad by Ibn Raslan, and I dearly wish that one of our new luminaries would translate that amazing poem, both for the 'Aqidah portion and the Fiqh. It could be a great learning tool and addition to the growing corpus of traditional Islamic knowledge in the English language.
I did try my hand at translating parts of the poem Az-Zubad by Ibn Raslan, and I dearly wish that one of our new luminaries would translate that amazing poem, both for the 'Aqidah portion and the Fiqh. It could be a great learning tool and addition to the growing corpus of traditional Islamic knowledge in the English language.
June 1, 2016
Excellent Islamic Legal Primer Annotated For a Wider Audience
The Accessible Conspectus, translated and annotated by Shaykh Musa Furber, is an excellent resource for learning Islamic Law according to the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence for beginner-intermediate level students . The basic text is from Imam Abu Shuja' Al-Isfahani's classic primer Ghayat al Taqrib or commonly known as Matn Abu Shuja'. This is the first text studied in Shafi'i jurisprudence that covers the entire basic spectrum of rulings typically found in larger works.
Shaykh Musa has provided useful explanatory notes and basic evidence that suit the needs of contemporary students who want to grasp the basic concepts and rulings. Oftentimes, classical primers such as Abu Shuja's list only abbreviated and terse statements that are inaccessible without the aid of a living qualified teacher and or detailed commentary or marginalia. This is not to say that this book is meant to obviate the need to learn Islamic law from qualified teachers. Classical Islamic texts, even with detailed commentary, still require the aid of a living qualified teacher to explain any difficulties in terminology, comprehension and other conditions not mentioned. Shaykh Musa makes this clear in his introduction to the work.
The book is an augmented version of Shaykh Musa's earlier translation of the text, Ultimate Conspectus. The Ultimate Conspectus is a basic translation of Abu Shuja's work with abbreviated explanation and is suited for those wanted to memorize or grasp the rulings in isolation to its commentary. Accessible Conspectus, as it is aptly titled, makes this classic work more accessible to a wider audience.
The Accessible Conspectus, translated and annotated by Shaykh Musa Furber, is an excellent resource for learning Islamic Law according to the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence for beginner-intermediate level students . The basic text is from Imam Abu Shuja' Al-Isfahani's classic primer Ghayat al Taqrib or commonly known as Matn Abu Shuja'. This is the first text studied in Shafi'i jurisprudence that covers the entire basic spectrum of rulings typically found in larger works.
Shaykh Musa has provided useful explanatory notes and basic evidence that suit the needs of contemporary students who want to grasp the basic concepts and rulings. Oftentimes, classical primers such as Abu Shuja's list only abbreviated and terse statements that are inaccessible without the aid of a living qualified teacher and or detailed commentary or marginalia. This is not to say that this book is meant to obviate the need to learn Islamic law from qualified teachers. Classical Islamic texts, even with detailed commentary, still require the aid of a living qualified teacher to explain any difficulties in terminology, comprehension and other conditions not mentioned. Shaykh Musa makes this clear in his introduction to the work.
The book is an augmented version of Shaykh Musa's earlier translation of the text, Ultimate Conspectus. The Ultimate Conspectus is a basic translation of Abu Shuja's work with abbreviated explanation and is suited for those wanted to memorize or grasp the rulings in isolation to its commentary. Accessible Conspectus, as it is aptly titled, makes this classic work more accessible to a wider audience.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews